Hi Fred,

Your wife is correct, the shelf life of whole wheat flour isn't as long as white flour. If you use it fairly quickly it will be fine on the shelf but if not, it can be stored in your refrigeratore or freezer. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before using in a recipe. Here is the King Arthur Flour recommendation:
Whole wheat flour has a shelf life of 3 months at room temperature, six months in the fridge and 12 months in the freezer.

Happy Baking!

Betsy